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TIM JAQUES
The Tribune

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BELLEDUNE - Belledune council met on Oct. 5 with the mayor and all councillors present except Deputy Mayor Emmie Flanagan.

Councillor Jerry Guitard said he's concerned about changes in the way the village is being serviced by Ambulance New Brunswick. Right now, he said, ambulances on standby wait on the highway near the Black Point area. However, he understands that this is going to change so that the new standby point will be near La Source in Charlo.

Guitard said he was told that Ambulance New Brunswick would guarantee a 22-minute response time. He said that he cannot see how the ambulance would reach Belledune from Charlo in 22 minutes in the winter.

Mayor Nick Duivenvoorden asked if the information came from paramedics or Ambulance NB. Guitard replied that it was from the paramedics. Duivenvoorden said that he thought that winter or summer, taking 22 minutes to get to Belledune from La Source was questionable.

"I would like them closer," said Guitard.

"If that is their plan we have to register our concerns," said Duivenvoorden.

Village Clerk Brenda Cormier is to contact Ambulance New Brunswick to find out what the plan is for the ambulances on standby.

Guitard had a number of questions for village chief administrative officer David Hughes about the way the wastewater management survey was conducted, and about some technical matters concerning lot sizes and septic systems.

Guitard wanted to know why renters and businesses were excluded from the survey, and why so many homes were missed on the survey. He also wanted to know why there was a concern about the placement of septic systems and wells, since the Department of Health monitors the placement of new septic systems. Also, he said, there is new technology for septic systems for small lots, and he said that he thought that the village should consider this. Would it also not be more cost-effective, he asked, if the village dealt with the small number of properties which the survey indicated might cause problems, rather than build a sewerage lagoon?

Guitard also wanted to know if in considering lot size, the lot shape was also taken into account. Some lots of the same acreage may be square and others may be long and narrow. This may affect how far the well is from the septic field. He asked if the Belledune Regional Environment Agency (BREA) did any work on the study for the sewage lagoon, or for the unrelated matter of the proposed Port of Belledune quarry on Turgeon Road.

Hughes replied that up until now, all questions asked on the sewerage lagoon matter have been "put into the hopper" of the Environmental Impact Assessment review. Some of the questions being asked are the same ones that came up right at the start. He said the village is not driving the schedule of the EIA review, which involves several government departments, and it is fully expected that even more questions will arise. Six to eight months is not unusual for that process.

Cormier said the questions will be answered on the village web site. As soon as council gets answers to the questions, they will be posted, but she did not know the time frame of those overseeing the EIA.

Hughes reported that he had made inquiries about what other municipalities do with unsightly premises. He said no other municipality offers financial incentives to help bring properties up to standard and he would not recommend that Belledune do this. In most cases, such properties are already in default of taxes and the cost of bringing them up to standard would far exceed whatever small amount the village could offer. In some places, the cleanup or restorative work is done by the municipality and a lien is placed on the property.

He said there is a need to strike a balance between patience and the need for enforcement.

He outlined a system where matters escalate gradually, starting with a letter asking for compliance with property standards, and ending with a referral to legal counsel to get a court order for demolition. He said there were three main offenders in the village right now. Council resolved to go ahead with his proposed method of dealing with unsightly premises.

Meanwhile, the Jacquet River Lions Club had requested the village's assistance in repairing its building, which the village had agreed to consider given the good work the club does in the village. The club obtained four quotes for siding and new windows for the building. Even apart from saving energy, the windows were no longer any good and had to be replaced. However the club was spending about $600 a month for heat and electricity in the winter and thus wanted to get the work done before the winter.

The lowest quote of the four obtained was that of Winmar of Bathurst which would do the windows and siding for $28,021.04. But a quote was received from A1 Construction of Belledune which was $1,942.03 higher.

Guitard suggested that the A1 Construction bid be taken instead as it would keep the work in the village. As these were quotes obtained by the club and not a formal tender by the village, councillors agreed they did not have to take the lowest quote.

Council resolved to grant the money to the club to do the work, on the condition that A1 Construction is used to do the work.

Storm sewer

Hughes stated that the current storm sewer has never been properly flushed. This should be done as part of preventative maintenance. This is part of a bigger picture of a maintenance management system which would include ditches and culverts. The village shouldn't have to wait for something to go wrong. A "sewerbot", a device with a camera, can be used which for $1.45 a metre will find the areas that need to be flushed. This saves money, because the areas that need to be flushed will be identified and only they will be flushed. Hughes requested that 3,100 metres of storm sewer between Noel Road and the Superette be viewed with this camera. Council resolved to spend up to $8,000 to do this.

Relay for life

Luc Duguay gave a presentation on starting a Relay for Life event in Belledune in 2010. These are already held in Campbellton and Dalhousie, and raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. He stated that an organizing committee and a site would be needed to get it done. Training for the leaders would be provided to help get it underway.

Council approved of the idea, and suggested that the site near the Belledune Recreation and Cultural Centre would be appropriate. In the end council asked the public to get involved to help set it up. Duguay may be reached at 548-5478 or at lduguay<@>nb.cancer.ca

"I think you can expect a very positive response from the community," said Duivenvoorden.

Belledune Education Strategy

Community Development Officer Andy Flanagan gave an update on the Belledune Education Strategy.

Education was identified as a priority in the village's strategic plan. Education was to help curb population decline, and to improve the utilization of trades and other training.

A comprehensive survey of current and future workforce training and employment needs was conducted last winter. An ad hoc committee was created to analyze the results and set out an action plan.

Flyers were sent out and these obtained a great response, showing that the desire for training within the village existed. There was increased interest amongst village residents for courses at CCNB-Campbellton and UNB Bathurst. The greatest interest was in training in the village itself. For instance 62 people applied for the free conversational French course offered at the fire hall. The Community Adult Learning Program has seven students with three more expected to attend. Regular upgrading at the Jacquet River Villa had 14 participants. Other courses are being considered with CCNB-Campbellton and UNB-Bathurst.